An Account of the English Colony in New South Wales, Volume 2 eBook

The Francis being nearly worn out, the governor
had purchased a vessel called the Harbinger,
to be employed in going to and from Norfolk Island,
the service of the Porpoise being required for
longer voyages. The Supply, which had been
long since condemned, was fitting up as a hulk to
receive such convicts as were incorrigible, in which
capacity she might still be very useful. It was
intended that the Lady Nelson should, at the
proper season, be employed in an accurate survey of
Bass Strait.

Accounts having been received of the Union between
the Two Kingdoms, that event was celebrated on the
4th of June 1801, and on that occasion the new union
flag was for the first time displayed in New South
Wales. The governor took that opportunity of
releasing several of the Irish insurgents who had
been in confinement.

It appeared, on examining the registers of the several
terms of transportation of the convicts, that the
clerks, who necessarily had had access to them, had
altered the sentences of about two hundred prisoners,
receiving a gratuity from each equal to ten or twelve
pounds. This was a very serious evil; and proper
steps to guard against it in future have been taken
both at home and in the colony.

That necessary institution, the Orphan School, had
been carried into effect, and the house which had
been purchased for the reception of the children was
occupied by them.

It appeared, upon collecting the accounts of the expenses
attending the erecting of the county gaol, that that
building had cost the sum of L3954 the greatest part
of which had been paid by assessments upon individuals.

Every encouragement was given to promote the growth
of wool fit for the purpose of manufacturing, and
three hundred and six yards of blanketing had been
made from what had been produced in the year preceding
the date of the dispatches, from the flocks belonging
to government and to individuals. In five months
four hundred and seventy-two yards of flax had been
manufactured into linen.

The colony continued healthy. In July 1801 there
were one hundred and eighteen persons on the surgeon’s
list.

The spirit of adventure, which still manifested itself
in the arrival of ships upon speculation, received
some check in the governor’s sending back three
vessels that had arrived from Bengal, on board of which
were not less than fifty-four thousand gallons of
spirits and wine.

A quantity of copper coin having been received, the
governor published a table of all the specie legally
in circulation within the colony, affixing the following
rates to each, at which they should be considered
and be a legal tender in all payments or transactions
within the territory, viz.